A Tragic Past
by Seraph05
Summary: Kurogane's story of how he came to decide to be a warrior and what made all Oni his foe. Please read enjoy and review


A Tragic Past.

She stood in the garden in the sun, the light pleasantly warming her body through her colourful kimono. Her long hair, as dark and beautiful as a midnight sky, danced softly in the breeze around her. Her ruby eyes, the cause of much taunting and heartache over the years, flashed uneasily around searching. Lines of age had not yet crept into her delicate features, though she was not young anymore. Finally having not found what she was looking for, she raised her voice.

"Kurogane!" she called "Kurogane! Where are you?"

Two catlike eyes as red as the woman's and just as jaded from a hurtful past now watched gleefully from behind some bushes.

"Kurogane! Come out right now! I will not ask again" she warned surveying her surroundings waiting for movement. He heard the tone of seriousness in her voice and decided to give up his game.

"Okasan" came a boyish voice and she spun around, smiling affectionately to greet her son.

"There you are! There is no-one better at hiding than you, little Kurogane" She beamed as he walked over to her. He was only ten but already beginning to grow tall, his unmanageable hair spiking out, almost defiantly, at all angles. It was black like his mothers but his image and movement mirrored that of his father. Despite being young he lacked any femineity and was utterly boyish. Even at that age before his future path had been shown he moved with a sort of precision and grace that had seen him through many tussles and fights unscathed. She took his tanned hand in hers and led him back into the house.

"Kurogane I don't want you playing outside today, Ok?" She told him closing the sliding door behind them.

"Why Okasan? I want to go play!" he yipped stubbornly, frowning in annoyance. She bobbed down so she was at his level.

"Your father came home a moment ago and told me to keep you inside. You know he wouldn't warn you to do something like this without a good reason, maybe there is Oni near by" She explained a shadow passing over her face as she spoke then smiled again "Do what he asks and don't open the doors either"

"Alright" Kurogane replied and watched her walk away. He wondered around the house for a while before locating his favourite ball. He bounced it a few times then snatched it out of the air and going for a run around the house, throwing it against walls, dodging and catching it. It kept him occupied for quite some time but like all boys of his age he eventually grew board of it. The hours dragged slowly on and soon Kurogane found himself lying on the floor on his back, scrutinising the ceiling, his ball discarded in the corner of the room. He was not one for playing inside and much preferred running in the garden, climbing trees and playing in the streets. Once he knew his mother was preoccupied he snuck over to the back door and slid it open just enough to watch the sun that was now sinking behind the mountains. He lay on his stomach, kicking his feet slowly as he gazed at the sky change colour like magic. First gold and pink, then orange and finally a red that almost matched his eyes. It seemed to fill the sky with its glow, a final farewell to the sun before the darkness took hold. Kurogane could hear his mother lighting some candles and looked over his shoulder. She would soon come in to this room as well so he looked back at the sky one last time and began to shut the back door. Then he noticed something. A black spot in the sky where the sun had just sunk from, silhouetted on the red. It began to grow bigger and Kurogane got to his feet, fear creeping into his heart and carmine light seeping into the room through the thin space in the door way. He began to step backwards then bumped into something. He turned quickly to see his mother holding a candle which brought a little more light to the room.

"Kurogane?" she exclaimed but before she could scold him he moved to her side, clutching her Kimono fearfully.

"Okasan, I'm scared there is something…" he whispered, his voice shaking, but he could see she could no longer hear him. She was as transfixed as he had been at the sight of the thing that was now looming over the horizon, dark and ominous. It almost seemed to be waiting for something. She pushed him softly behind her, blowing out the candle she held and glided over to the door. As she closed it he caught one last glimpse of the darkness but noted it had already grown as large as one of the peaks in the distance.

"Come" she ordered flying swiftly past him and down a corridor, towards the living room. He followed her through the semi-darkness, a few dim candles; his only source of light. They entered the living room at a near running pace. On the wall hung a stunning collection of swords Kurogane's father had received in honour of his skills as a warrior. She pulled a katana off the wall using her Obi as a holder then grabbed another handing it to her son. He took it with uncertain hands. His father had warned him to never even touch the precious blades and now he and his mother were preparing to use them with untrained hands. He drew it very slowly and carefully watching his reflection on its perfect metal surface. He could see his features so clearly and was a little alarmed to see how pale his face was. It flashed away as he was grabbed by the wrist and dragged into a closet, the door shut behind them.

"There is an Oni swarm coming we shall probably hear them soon…" as she spoke he crawled back into her embrace. Then they waited.

"If something should happen to me I want you to go and hide and not come out for anyone but your father, do you understand my little Kurogane?" she couldn't see anything or hear a sound yet, but she knew he was crying; tears silently streaming down him cheeks so she held him tighter.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes Okasan" he answered her, managing to keep his voice from cracking. As they sat in the dark Kurogane wished more than he ever had before that he was out in the garden with his parents beside him, the sun shining and the birds singing, like many fond memories from summers past. Instead of being in a small black closet, straining ears and squinting eyes his heart beating against his ribcage in fear. Then it began. At first it sounded like the squawks of a flock of birds returning home at dusk but it grew louder. Kurogane and his mother listened as the screeching of birds became the terrifying shrieks and screams of the oncoming Oni, mirthful with bloodlust. Now human voices joined in a chorus of resistance. Roars of men echoed through their house; orders to attack and defend, advance and retreat. In this battle there could be no victor though as both parties stood to loose a great number of lives before either backed off. The smashing of houses and women's screams accompanied the men's harsh voices now too the volumes growing ever louder. The sound of destruction and death. All the while Kurogane and his mother lay in waiting, muscles tensed for the moment when their voices would join those of the others outside. Suddenly there was an almighty ripping and crashing and the pair's heads flicked up to see the roof of their house being torn away and a pair of blowing red eyes glower down at them from the face of a huge black Oni. Her eyes flicked frantically around seeking to find shelter for their currently exposed state. She saw some debris Kurogane could hide in and she pulled him towards it. Tossing him under it she drew the Katana from her obi and held it out threateningly at the Oni. He lifted his claws and slammed them down at her, as Kurogane watched from under the safety of the debris with horror then surprise. His mother leapt with the speed of lightning to the left then accurately sliced through half of the beasts arm. It reeled pulling its hand back with a roar of pain. It seemed Kurogane's father wasn't the only talented swordsman in their family. While he had never seen her fight before he could tell her technique was good, it was not the first time she had wielded such a weapon. She glanced back behind her.

"Go Kurogane! Go deeper into the rubble! Quickly now!" She shouted snapping him out of his previously stunned state. He turned around and began scrambling deeper into the rubble of the home he had lived in all his young life. After a few seconds of crawling away, with the demons screams raging still in the back ground, he came across a hole which, in his panic, he dropped his sword as he climbed through. To afraid to turn around he kept going not sure of any life but his own. For all Kurogane knew everyone he ever cared about could be dead. There was another smashing sound and the wood around him shook. Kurogane fell into a ball covering his head with his arms and letting out a shout. A minute passed as Kurogane lay unmoving in the dark then he noticed some moonlight coming from somewhere. He looked up to see a hole in the rubble letting light in but it was what had caused the hole that made the colour drain from his face; his mother lay still in the light her kimono spotted with blood.

"OKASAN!" Kurogane screamed now pelting through the debris not worrying about wether the partly stable roof would hold. He slid to his mother's side grabbing her hand. She smiled at him brushing his cheek with her other hand.

"Kurogane, my darling, grow strong, find happiness and know that I will always love you and am with you" she gasped quickly taking her sword from beside her and handing it to her son. As soon as he took it the Oni's huge black claws descended from above snatching her away, her beautiful eyes smiling at him one last time.

"OKASAMA!" Kurogane cried leaping to try and grasp her but there was nothing he could do. The beast leaned down roaring at Kurogane, leering with his red eyes and gnashing his black teeth; a monstrous creature. Then, his heart breaking with terror, Kurogane watched as the monster tossed her into the air like a rag doll swallowing her whole.

"NOOOOO!" Kurogane shrieked drawing the katana and pelting through the rest of the debris and into the open.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed not noticing the tears streaking down his cheeks as he raced towards the Oni. The huge monster looked over at him and lunged, jaws wide ready to reunite him with his mother. Kurogane's breath caught in his chest as the Oni's head smashed into the ground with a snarl. The young boy's eyes opened wide as he realized he was being carried away to safety under someone's arm. He looked up at his rescuer the tears still rolling down his cheeks. The faintly handsome man glanced down at him a deep sorrow transcending his calm gaze. It was his father. He put his son down and stood in front of him drawing his sword, Ginryu and taking a fighting stance.

"O-Otosan, Okasan is-she's" Kurogane sobbed to his father.

"I know" he whispered his rough deep voice comforting to hear. Then he turned his murderous glare at the Oni that had taken his wife and roared an attack his sword doing as it was commanded.

"HAMA RYU-O-JIN!"

Huge slashes ripped through the black Oni taring it to pieces as Kurogane watched in shock. He had never seen his father battle like this before.

"Kurogane, I shall return I must defend the town" his father said as he left "stay here"

Many hours later once the screams of the other Oni and townspeople had died down his father returned to find him kneeling on the ground looking out into the garden where he had been playing the day before. It seemed like a decade had passed since then. His father sat down beside him putting an arm around his sons shoulder.

"Otosan, I want to be a warrior. I want to be the strongest warrior of all, a slayer of Oni and a protector so that less people will have to suffer like us…" Kurogane's voice cracked as he spoke but he did not cry; his tears had run out. He turned his face to his father who was also staring out into the garden, no doubt remembering his beloved wife as his expression was painfully bereft. His dark brown eyes turned to look to Kurogane.

"I will teach you then my son" He said to him "And you shall indeed be a great warrior." after a long pause he continued "Come we must travel to begin your journey. There is no reason to stay" he looked at the destroyed house behind them.

"There is nothing to stay for"

They stood and he and began to walk away when he noticed Kurogane was just not moving but still staring at the garden.

The sun was starting to rise casting light into it but Kurogane couldn't smile. He could no longer see the splendour of the morning light painting the colours into the countryside, or the bird's song or the beginning of a new day. It seemed like nothing would ever be as beautiful again as the sun was on her face that day. And night would never be lifted from his heart. Then whispered to the air

"Goodbye Okasan"

A/N: Ok in volume seven of tsubasa chronicle Kurogane gets a bit upset, as upset as he can get anyway, at the prospect of oni hunters being eaten and then later when fai looks like he's been killed he asks if he was killed by beaing eaten by Oni. It seems as though someone really important to Kurogane had died this was and it had scared him deeply. So the abouve is the horrific story of the poor loves trumatic experience.


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